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Made this cartoon after the reactions BR got for writing ‘Kaala’ review.
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Literary Harvest
by Ramki Bellur
With his Kwik Gun and Wrong ‘un
Literary farmer Baradwaj Rangan
is here with his new harvest
his Reviews are top draw, always the best.
To relish the word’s worth see no further than Baddy
His interviews are as green as paddy
Just as the earth waits for the clouds to drop down as rain
We await BR’s books, which is as sweet as sugarcane.
We are awaiting a bounty from this wordsmith
who busts several well known film’s myth
Ask BR for a Bitty Rumination
Who are his fans? We the nation.
Similar to Pongal, we wait for Brangan
to spread warmth and illuminationwith his writing
He adds passion of Rice with literary milk and humour jaggery
A visit to BR’s blog helps us forget life’s vagary
Pongalo Pongal!
Rangano Rangan!
We have all seen the above gesture made by our Thalaiva Rajinikanth since BABA was released in 2002. But when you dig back, you get to know the history behind this symbol.
In Sanskrit, Apana means downward moving force. Apana mudra governs the pelvic region of your body.
The pelvic region refers to the lower abdomen of the body. It contains digestive and reproductive organs.
In short, Apana mudra facilitates smooth and harmonious downward moving force in the digestive and reproductive organs of the body to regulate the movement of body toxins downward. In relieves constipation and makes the bowel movements regular. It increases sweating and urination also.
Also, it helps in regulating the menstrual cycles in women.
The symbol which shows the thumb holding down the ring and middle fingers is increasingly touted to be the official logo of his soon-to-be-announced party.
We first saw the symbol in the 2002 film Baba where he plays a good Samaritan atheist who develops faith after a meeting with Mahavatar Babaji, a sage who was reportedly spotted in the Himalayas between 1861 and 1935.
A-decade-and-a half later when the actor announced his political entry in December 2017, the stage was adorned by the same symbol seated on a lotus. In subsequent communications with the media, however, the lotus disappeared but the symbol remained.
So, what is the baba symbol and what does it represent? The internet has some theories.
Apana Mudra
The symbol from the film is supposed to be the apana mudra. The five fingers of the hand represent the five yogic elements: thumb is fire, index finger is air, middle finger is space, ring finger is earth and the little finger is water. In this mudra, the middle finger and the ring finger are held down by the thumb symbolically representing the calming down of the ether and the earth. According to Kriya Yoga, the repeated holding of that posture helps in digestion and improves stomach-related ailments. However, it is rather curious as a political symbol.
One theory is also that in Bharatanatyam, this symbol is used to show the face of the lion which would be more apt for an actor with a roaring popularity in India.
Similarities to Ramakrishna Mission’s logo
The serpent at the head of the symbol has caught the attention of everyone for encircling the hand. It is perhaps representative of the circle of life and death, much like the way a snake would shed its skin.
Rajinikanth told reporters that the snake represents divinity and depicts ‘Kundalini’, or static energy that supports all life. Often, this energy is depicted as a serpent.
In Hindu mythology, man’s ultimate goal is to be rid of the cycle of birth and death. Another reading could be the sheshnag which when uncoiled has the capacity to move time and make creation possible; the universe ends when the snake coils back.
Significantly, the logo of Ramakrishna Mission bears a similar symbol – with the serpent encircling a swan that is seated on a lotus, as the sun rises over the waters.
Rajinikanth is said to have been influenced by the teaching of the Ramakrishna Mission in his early days. Ramakrishna Mission was founded by Swami Vivekananda to spread the word of his guru Paramahansa Ramakrishna. Parahansa Yogananda who was fond of Parahansa Ramakrishna is said to have met Rajinikanth’s spiritual guru Mahadev Babaji as per the former’s account in his book the Autobiography of a Yogi.
[Sources: Spiritual Ray, Health Melody and The News Minute]
